Touch rugby torture
28 Aug 2010
JON CARDINELLI writes Saturday’s nine-try display lacked the intensity and defensive excellence of a typical Tri-Nations Test.
Where was the defensive element that defines top-flight rugby? For traditional powerhouses like the Springboks and Wallabies, Saturday’s match was a sloppy and unacceptable display.
The Loftus Versfeld crowd responded positively to the feast of tries, and the atmosphere resembled that of a Barbarians fixture or a high-profile sevens clash. The Boks’ conceded four tries inside the first 30 minutes; the lack of organisation and poor breakdown work contributing to a porous effort.
After five Tri-Nations matches, the Boks have leaked 17 tries. They’ve conceded the four-try bonus point on three occasions. Compare those stats to those of 2009, where they conceded just 11 tries in six games and zero four-try bonuses, and it’s clear the Boks’ defensive reputation has been shattered in the space of a year.
Discipline is a problem. The accuracy and communication is just not there. Their tackling woes and poor decision making is compounded by their perpetual failure at the collisions. Whatever intensity they conjured in this year’s competition they left in Soweto.
The stats tell a story but don’t complete an embarrassing tale. The manner in which they gifted the Aussies four tries was shocking.
A simple three-phase, same-way attack saw Drew Mitchell over the line in the second minute, and a TMO call in favour of the hosts only delayed the inevitable. From the very next scrum, the Wallabies built through five phases to score, their superb clearing at the ruck allowing for a quick recycle, and the final movement helped by a missed Victor Matfield tackle.
The Wallabies’ second try was down to a quick clearance at the breakdown, and for their third, Bryan Habana dropped a kickoff to allow James O’Connor to avoid two would-be defenders. The fourth was birthed from a turnover deep in Wallabies territory, and when Habana held onto the ball at the breakdown, the penalty was taken quickly and walked over by lock Dean Mumm.
The Aussies enjoyed better momentum at the collisions, and if not for a few handling errors, may have racked up more linebreaks. The Boks were still susceptible in the wide channels, and when the Wallabies got fast ball at the breakdown, the hosts’ poor defensive structure was exposed.
Fortunately for the Boks, the Wallabies’ defence lapsed at crucial periods. Apart from the 15-phase build up to Pierre Spies’s try, the Boks scored some soft tries. The lack of intensity throughout said a lot for this dead rubber.
There were exceptions although the second half shouldn’t erase the first. Juan Smith had another outstanding game on defence and Francois Hougaard crunched Adam Ashley-Cooper late in the second period to deny the Wallabies their fifth. Replacement flyhalf Butch James weighed in with a massive defensive hit, and reserve hooker Chiliboy Ralepelle poached two turnovers at the breakdown. Matfield was highly effective at the lineout, pinching several balls off the opposition throw.
But the lift in the Boks’ standard also needs to be viewed in conjunction with the flagging intensity and sloppy handling of the Aussies. A better team would have buried the Boks, fortress or not.
Top teams don’t concede four tries, and they don’t leak them in the soft manner that the Boks did at Loftus. They may have broken their Tri-Nations duck, but this inconsistent performance showed why they’re no longer the No 1 side on the planet.
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91 Comments
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28 Aug 2010, 19:03 pm
Drop Haban
28 Aug 2010, 19:03 pm
Touch rugby se g@t! Dragons
28 Aug 2010, 19:03 pm
Dragons, a crusade
28 Aug 2010, 19:05 pm
CHILLIBOY WAS AMAZING ! JPP BEST WING IN THE WORLD ! BOKKE !
28 Aug 2010, 19:05 pm
Drop Habana
28 Aug 2010, 19:06 pm
@couch-bok(couch-bok)-1: Yes, moving to Province was a step backwards for Habana. He is only a shadow of Habana, the “Vaalie”!
28 Aug 2010, 19:07 pm
NO 6 Hier kom groot, definitely, he cost us 4 tries in 2 matches, useless. Only 1 kick which was good
28 Aug 2010, 19:08 pm
Here we go, more beetching and moaning from the SA journos. Are these guys ever happy? Geez if this was Oz v AB in Melbourne, it was the greatest Test match ever played.
Somehow all the kak they wrote about the fitness or lack of, of the Boks, seemed to be built on false evidence as the Boks finished stronger against the young “golden generation” Wallabies. Perhaps that’s why they are so peeved.
It is a win, so celebrate it. A step in right direction.
28 Aug 2010, 19:08 pm
Darren just said, Bryan having a slump. Drop the guy, he is out of his depth.
28 Aug 2010, 19:12 pm
@toddke(toddke)-8: typical huh and then there is the trailor trash thats here to make racist statements
bunch of rats they are
28 Aug 2010, 19:17 pm
Sharks_lover,yo sweeping statements dude.
28 Aug 2010, 19:19 pm
I don’t always agree with what the Keo guys write, but most of this article I do agree with. Defense by both teams was inconsistent and the breakdown work sloppy with lots of spilled ball and turnovers. Aussie worse than Boks however and they deserved their win.
Made a great game to watch, even if a bit frustrating due to the sloppy breakdown work and ball retention. Don’t think either coach will be that happy once they examine the replay in depth, but the Bok were good for their win and many individuals played their game of the series. For all the hype, I didn’t think FS added much tonight, he is obviously short of game time as he is better than that I feel. Only Bok players I didn’t really rate tonight were Habana (needs to go) and Steencamp (sp?) who is a walking penalty. Most of the others had good games. M Steyn looked much more like a class FH tonight.
Well done Boks.
28 Aug 2010, 19:24 pm
Twickenham in November…….suddenly England are looking good.
28 Aug 2010, 19:25 pm
fckin pathetic
Fck these journos
Like Toddke says if this game was in Oz in same capacity crowd-this would have been called a spectacle/wonderful display of running rugby etc
In fact “the greatest test match@ started the very same way.AB’s went 21-0 up,then Wallabies can roaring bk,with AB’s winning at the death thru a Lomu try…Any parrallels with this game??(JPP???)
Pathetic sh*t as usual from keo & his bambaklad ilk!!
Infuriating fckin hypocrites
28 Aug 2010, 19:28 pm
@toddke(toddke)-8: true, if this was a Bledisloe Cup game the Australasian press would be holding it up as an example to world rugby.
While JC might have a point about today’s game, there is no point in moaning as the Boks showed they could kick and defend last week.
But what of JC’s advocating of Franscois Louw, was a fetcher really that important today? didn’t see much of Pocock.
28 Aug 2010, 19:31 pm
@mshiniwami(mshiniwami)-14: That’s a bit harsh I feel
It was agreat game to watch and even as a ‘neutral’ I really enjoyed it. I think what the article is saying is that neither team will consistently win tough hard matches against good teams that don’t make as many mistakes as were made tonight, and I think that is a fair comment that both coaches will probably agree with.
28 Aug 2010, 19:33 pm
chilliboy rallapelle must start next game,his defense & competing on the ground changed flow of latter stages of game.his 2 turnovers were massive
28 Aug 2010, 19:33 pm
@Big Hit(Big Hit)-15: The breakdowns seem to lack some of the intensity or structure of last week. Not quite sure what it was, but they felt much ‘looser’ for some reason.
28 Aug 2010, 19:36 pm
The boks won… Scoring tries! You have to take the good with the bad… I think the biggest blunder the aussies made was preping for the game on the veldt at sea level.
28 Aug 2010, 19:37 pm
@mshiniwami(mshiniwami)-17: He is the BEST No2 our country has at the moment. Future capatain at world cup. I LOVE Chilli. He won us the game today,.
28 Aug 2010, 19:45 pm
From freedictionary:
tor·ture (tôrchr)
n.
1.
a. Infliction of severe physical pain as a means of punishment or coercion.
b. An instrument or a method for inflicting such pain.
2. Excruciating physical or mental pain; agony: the torture of waiting in suspense.
3. Something causing severe pain or anguish.
tr.v. tor·tured, tor·tur·ing, tor·tures
1. To subject (a person or an animal) to torture.
2. To bring great physical or mental pain upon (another). See Synonyms at afflict.
3. To twist or turn abnormally; distort: torture a rule to make it fit a case.
According to Cardinelli, this game was torture. Perhaps a career change is in order?
28 Aug 2010, 19:49 pm
@aliboy(aliboy)-18: @mshiniwami(mshiniwami)-17: McCaw would’ve killed both teams today at the breakdown…
28 Aug 2010, 19:54 pm
@Transformation(Transformation)-22:
I don’t thing so. Rolland was very strict at the breakdown today.
28 Aug 2010, 19:56 pm
Also this new infatuation with Francois Louw is nuts. Guy is a talent but still a greenhorn. he had 2 good performances for the Boks, and a couple of ordinary ones. came on against AB’s and gave away a penalty (key moment) and did anyone even watch him in CC game against Cheetahs? Now you want to put this still learning greenhorn as the answer to Boks breakdown woes? Really?
IMO we still have the following to come:
Fourie Du Preez
Bissie
Brussouw
Bakkies
Beast
Pienaar
And have some newbies and fringe players like
Lambie
Willem Alberts
Mvovo
Peter Grant
Juan De Jongh
Van der Heever
deysel
Elton Jantjies
Plus, the fact that senior Boks will be rested at end of year – think there is defo some positives to look fwd to and don’t believe all the BS the Boks are spent force just yet. Didn’t exactly cover ourselves in glory in 2006, whilst AB’s and Ozzies pasted us but all worked out OK.
If Aussies lose next week then “Daar is kak in die land” for them, beeg time – if you believe what every journo and kiwi is saying about these washed up boks.
Die wiel draai!
28 Aug 2010, 19:58 pm
@coherence(coherence)-21: hahaha
28 Aug 2010, 19:59 pm
@coherence(coherence)-23: obviously with his brand of intelligent pilfering
28 Aug 2010, 20:00 pm
@toddke(toddke)-24: forgot bjorn basson there toddy
28 Aug 2010, 20:04 pm
#22, Agreed, the cheater to his own rescue.
28 Aug 2010, 20:08 pm
Transie
That’s doesn’t matter,what does McCaw have to do with this Test? In that Bledisloe Cup thriller in 2000-the quintessential modern day openside Josh Kronfeld had little to no effect in that game.
Plus u were saying Pocock was going to tear us apart during the week,where was he today? Rallapelle in his 25min on the pitch matched him for turnovers.he was nowhere 2day.
We won,have a beer & relax sbali
28 Aug 2010, 20:12 pm
@mshiniwami(mshiniwami)-29: quote me on pocock…
28 Aug 2010, 20:14 pm
@mshiniwami(mshiniwami)-29: i’m quite relaxed sbali sam and ngiwujabulele umdlalo…yini ndaba ingathi ucasukile?
28 Aug 2010, 20:21 pm
transie
I don’t live on this site so I can regurgitate the exact words but uve been for weeks lamenting our lack of a fetcher/loosie imbalance in the team & how that would allow likes of McCaw/Pocock To run riot.
In fact McCaw last week had an avg game until Juan Smith got taken off-who had his no. All day long.After Louw came on we got clean up at breakdown.
This week Smith & Burger nullified breakdown specialist
28 Aug 2010, 20:22 pm
If that had been a Bledisloe cup game, someone said.
It could not have been because NZ play in Bled cup games and they actually tackle and defend.
28 Aug 2010, 20:25 pm
cha ndoda ukuthi ngikhathele with the line of reporting.nawe mase ufaka izinto ngoMcCaw etc kunokuba isicefe.but ur entitled to ur opinion ndoda.
28 Aug 2010, 20:28 pm
Aunt Mavis
Watch the 2000 “greatest game ever” & look at the missed tackle stakes,esp midfield axis of Merths/Ieriemia/Alatini.great going fwd,patchy on defence.
That game was very similiar in flow as this game today.
28 Aug 2010, 20:32 pm
Maybe altitude got to the Aussies, maybe they tried to be too loose….or maybe they actually got beaten – and outlasted – by a better side. And one coming off 4 loses that might have gutted and neutered a lesser side than the Boks.
These journos make me sick – they can’t watch the match with open eyes…most of them were drolling for one more loss so they could be “bad news” merchants and claim their comments and incisive comments brought down PdV – Smit – Matfield – Steyn (F) – or whoever….they always pick one!!
Report on the game, not your preconceived bias.
28 Aug 2010, 20:34 pm
@mshiniwami(mshiniwami)-32: so pdv’s ‘plan’ for the old devil worked then?
28 Aug 2010, 20:37 pm
@mshiniwami(mshiniwami)-32: good for u then sbali, don’t suggest i made comments engingazange ngizenze…
28 Aug 2010, 21:02 pm
@mshiniwami(mshiniwami)-35: ummm I thought Umaga was in the 2000 test? I have memories of him snatching an intercept try in the first half? that was the same match Jopnah scored in the corner to win the game? age must be catching me
28 Aug 2010, 21:03 pm
Shut up JC , that was an exciting game to watch!
Im not even going to bother reading the article after that headline.
Heyneke Meyer for Coach!
(Sharks Fan)
28 Aug 2010, 21:05 pm
@poppa69(poppa69)-39: Umaga was playing wing in that game..
28 Aug 2010, 21:09 pm
We watched the game live amongst a huge group of SA ex-pats in Auckland. Everyone was there to see a Bok victory to celebrate Victors 100th match. Even the Kiwi’s were cheering for the boks. The odd Aussie supporter soon got shouted down, but all good natured. It was entertainment, pure and simple. We will leave all the technical deficiencies from both sides for another day. Great win for the Boks, enjoyed the braii and few largers.
28 Aug 2010, 21:10 pm
Sorry… lagers, must of had one too many.
28 Aug 2010, 21:10 pm
The wallabies under Dean and with more experience are going to be in contention come 2011. The boks have one huge advantage and that is the depth. The problem is that they all want to be hero’s and not play as a team. A bright coaching staff will select the right combinations and game plan, which is unfortunately our current weakness.
28 Aug 2010, 21:48 pm
Thinking that all is well again in Bok rugby will be its undoing.
28 Aug 2010, 22:09 pm
Some people are just so hard to please, a Robin Williams line from “Good Morning Vietnam” comes to mind …
28 Aug 2010, 23:08 pm
transie-37
Plan or not for the “old devil”-namhlanje he was nullified by Bok blanket cleaning/physicality at brrakdown.whether u want to give credit to Div as a “plan” or not kuk’wena kodwa result still the same-Pocock/old Devil had little to no impact namhlanje.
If u didn’t make any comments regarding Pocock domination of Bok’s at breakdown or allude to that in any way shape or form then uxolo,kushuthi ngiyaphosisa.
Kwenzekani kwiWP yakho ndoda? UFrans Louw no Vermuelen got outplayed by Johnson & co…(incl Hendro Scholtz???)
28 Aug 2010, 23:21 pm
posts
Where is he going to get that experience in less than 12 months to WC? Only likely missing player is the influential Horwill..Vickerman won’t surpass Mumm nor Sharpe after nearly 2 yrs out of top class rugby.
Deans has a winning % of less than 55% at present…losses to England,Scotland & close victory vs Ireland in last 8 months…not looking good…were 21-7 up vs Bok side with 47 yr old record up for grabs & still fail.
Some of Deans selections are questionable as well-namely Ma’afu,Fainga’a,Brown,Horne,O’Connor at wing,Beale,Slipper,McCalman,Hodgson etc
28 Aug 2010, 23:37 pm
@mshiniwami(mshiniwami)-14: that ‘greatest test match’ is only hailed as such by those in Australasia, ‘most open bled match’ is probably a better description.
28 Aug 2010, 23:45 pm
@mshiniwami(mshiniwami)-48:
deans is over rated as a coach, this aussie squad have some serious talented youngsters.. for how log can Deano use the “we’re building” excuse?
The only reason why Deans did so well with the Saders is because he had Carter and Richie is his team, any coach with Carter and Richie in the same team will win more than they lose. Ask old Uncle Henry.
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